There Are Two Basic Types of Fiber

FIBER IN YOUR DIET

WHAT IS FIBER?

Fiber is the portion of plant foods that our bodies cannot absorb or digest. Fiber is found primarily in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. There is no fiber in foods that come from animals, such as meat, milk, cheese, and yogurt.

There are two basic types of fiber: a. Insoluble Fiber: This is the kind of fiber that’s sometimes referred to as “roughage”. It includes the woody or structural part of plants, such as fruit and vegetable skins and the outer coating (the bran) of the wheat kernel. b. Soluble Fiber: Soluble fibers are substances that dissolve and thicken in water to form gels. Oats, peas, beans, barley, apples, and citrus fruits all contain soluble fiber, and oat bran is an especially rich source.

Why Is Fiber Good For You? Fiber attracts and absorbs water. Think of the solid waste in your intestine as a dry sponge. A dry sponge is dry and hard. When it is soaked with water it softens and expands. The same thing happens to the waste in your intestine when you have adequate fiber in your diet. It attracts water and softens and expands the solid waste, thus speeding up the elimination process. This combats constipation and helps to prevent cancers of the digestive system such as intestinal, stomach, and colon cancer. Besides preventing constipation, fiber has many other health benefits, including::

 LOWERS RISK OF DIGESTIVE DISORDERS Fiber can also prevent other digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoids, and diverticulitis.

 LOWERS BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVELS The soluble fiber found in beans, oats, and flaxseed has been shown to help lower “LDL” or bad cholesterol.

 HELPS MAINTAIN BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS Fiber slows the absorption of sugar, which helps control blood sugar levels. This is especially important in helping to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  AIDS IN WEIGHT LOSS AND WEIGHT CONTROL There are several reasons that a high-fiber diet helps to control weight. First of all, most high-fiber foods generally take more time to chew, which gives to time to recognize when you’ve had enough to eat and you’re no longer hungry. Secondly, high-fiber foods are less “energy- dense”, which means they have fewer calories for the same amount of foods that are more “energy-dense”. Think of a large bowl of salad greens (not including the dressing) for only about 60 calories versus the average candy bar for about 250 calories. You get to eat and chew much more food eating the salad than the candy bar for far fewer calories. And finally, fiber fills you up and will help you stay full longer than a low-fiber diet of highly processed foods.

HOW MUCH FIBER DO YOU NEED?

The American Cancer Society recommends a range of 20-35 grams of fiber daily. If you aren’t getting enough fiber in your diet, or if you are only getting at the lower end of this range (20 grams) you need to increase your fiber intake gradually. Changing from a very low-fiber diet to a very high-fiber diet suddenly may cause some intestinal distress (tummy ache!), so make the change gradually. If you need to add fiber to your diet, you need to increase your intake of:

 Whole-grain products  Fruits  Vegetables  Peas, beans, and other legumes  Nuts and seeds

Refined and processed foods contain little or no fiber, so in order to increase fiber in your diet you must decrease your intake of:

 White bread  White grain foods such as white rice, white pasta, etc.  Non-whole-grain cereals  Snack foods made from enriched flour such as crackers, pop-tarts, cookies, etc. TIPS FOR ADDING MORE FIBER TO YOUR DIET

 Look for the words whole-grain rather than enriched in ingredient lists.  Look for the words “bran” or “fiber” in the name of products, such as Raisin Bran cereal or Fiber One Bars.  Substitute half whole-wheat flour when making pancakes, biscuits, pizza crust, and even cookies.  Keep a bowl of fruit readily available for snacks.  Cut up raw vegetables as soon as you bring them home from the store and store them in zip-lock bags or plastic containers.  At the salad bar add beans and seeds rather than cheese and croutons to your salad. YOU CAN GET ME IN YOUR BREAKFAST

IF YOU DON’T SLEEP TOO LATE,

YOU CAN COUNT ON ME TO HELP YOU

CONTROL YOUR WEIGHT.

EVEN THOUGH YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME

HANGING OUT IN MEAT.

MY NUTRITIONAL VALUE

JUST CAN’T BE BEAT.

TO AVOID DIABETES

AND STAY HEALTHY AND WELL

MY ABILITY TO STABILIZE BLOOD SUGAR

IS REALLY SWELL

FIND THE SIMPLE ANSWER

AND YOU JUST MIGHT PREVENT CANCER

WHAT AM I?

elowh srigan nda efbri

______Name______Period ______

FIBER IN YOUR DIET QUESTIONS

After reading FIBER IN YOUR DIET handout, answer the following questions:

1. Do we digest fiber? ______yes ______no

2. Name the three groups on the Food Guide Pyramid that supply fiber:

______

3. Name the two groups on the Food Guide Pyramid that DO NOT supply fiber:

______

4. Name the two types of fiber:

______

5. What is one source of insoluble fiber? ______

6. What is one source of soluble fiber? ______

7. Fiber attracts ______in the intestine and helps to speed the digestion and elimination process, thus preventing many types of ______.

8. The fiber found in beans and oats can help lower blood ______

levels.

9. Getting plenty of fiber in your diet helps to control blood ______levels, which helps to prevent the onset of ______.

10. Fiber helps in ______loss for several reasons: a. Foods high in fiber take longer to ______which helps slow your eating and recognize when you are ______.

b. High-fiber foods are less energy-dense, meaning they have fewer ______.

c. Unlike highly processed foods that digest quickly, high-fiber foods make you feel ______longer.

11. The amount of fiber recommended daily by the American Cancer Society is

______to ______grams.

12. Name five groups of food to focus on in order to increase your fiber intake:

______

13. Name five specific foods that would come from the above list:

______

______14. List four groups of foods to avoid in order to increase your fiber intake:

______

15. Name four specific foods that would come from the above list:

______

______Name ______Period ______THE HUNT FOR FIBER

Name of Bread First ingredient Grams of fiber per serving

Name of Cereal First ingredient Grams of fiber per serving

Raisin Bran

Special K

Wheat Chex

Apple Jacks

Frosted Mini-Wheats

Fruit Loops

Name of Cracker First ingredient Grams of fiber per serving

Ritz crackers

Cheeze-its

Triscuits Zesta Saltines

Ry-Krisp

Ak-Mak

Name of Snack Food First ingredient Grams of fiber per serving

Pop Tarts

Pretzels

Vanilla Wafers

100 Calorie Right Bites

Nature Valley Granola Bars

List the first ingredient for any of the foods that contained more than one gram of fiber per serving:

______

Name ______Period ______

GRAINS AND FIBER POWERPOINT NOTES

1. Grains are the primary source of ______needed to

provide ______for the body. 2. The three parts of the grain kernel are:

______

3. The part of the grain kernel that contains the fiber is the ______.

4. The germ is a rich source of Vitamin ______, _____-complex vitamins, iron, and

other ______.

5. ______flour is made from only the endosperm, and contains mostly

starch and a small amount of protein.

6. Whole grains are made from ______of

the grain kernel. They are rich in B-complex vitamins from the ______

and fiber from the ______.

7. ______grains have the germ and the bran removed, resulting in

______flour which is made from only the endosperm. When refined

grains have the vitamins that are lost during processing added back in, they

are called ______.

8. If a food is a whole grain product the word ______will appear in the

ingredient list, telling us that the food will be a good source of ______. 9. The word ______will appear in the ingredient list for foods

that are not whole grain. These foods will not contain ______.

10. Some of the health benefits of fiber are that it:

a. regulates ______.

b. prevents ______.

c. helps in ______control.

d. lowers the risk of ______disease.

e. aids in digestion, reducing the risk of some kinds of ______.

11. The American Cancer Society recommends that people get between

______and ______grams of fiber daily.

12. Fiber is also present in all ______and ______.

There is no fiber in foods that come from ______.

13. Some tips for getting more fiber in your diet are:

a. Eat ______grains instead of ______grains.

b. Add crushed ______cereal when baking muffins and breads.

c. Use ______whole wheat flour in place of enriched flour when baking.

d. Eat ______for snacks.

e. Add ______to salads and taco dishes. f. Use ______pasta and ______rice. g. Snack on raw ______and whole grain ______. Name ______Period ______

WHOLE GRAIN PANTRY CHECK

Your assignment is to read the Nutrition Facts Labels on some of the packages and boxes in your pantry at home. Some good examples would be bread, crackers, cereal, granola bars, and any snack products.

Remember the tip on the Food Guide Pyramid is to

MAKE ______YOUR GRAINS ______GRAINS

FOOD 1ST INGREDIENT 2ND INGREDIENT GRAMS OF (type of flour or FIBER grain) Name ______Period ______

Daily Food Plan to Meet Fiber Requirement

______to ______grams daily

Food Serving size Grams of Fiber

Breakfast

Dinner

Snacks

Total Daily Fiber grams